Tag: study

I started my first weekly program in Consumer Psychology this week, and I’m planning on using this space to make notes, jot down musings, and integrate with my existing work.

What exactly is consumer psychology?

Understanding the behaviour of consumers and how it relates to the decisions they make, both big and small.

Looking at the research, consumer psychology addresses an array of subjects. Some of the more popular areas include decision-making, consumer judgement, perception and attention, information processing, motivational determinants of consumer behaviour, attitude formation and change, and influences of advertising upon consumer responses (Jansson-Boyd, 201o).

There’s also something to be said about how consumption makes them feel — we live in a world where signposting who you are as a person seems to be primarily through purchases.

The other day a friend and I discussed whether the vast majority of people would still certain purchase goods and services if they couldn’t tell anyone. Nobody knows the brand or the value. For instance, like Wiley, you buy and wear a Rolex. However, you’re not allowed to tell anyone, write a hit about it, or Instagram it. Would you still want one?

This thought-experiment is particularly interesting in the ‘age of the influencer’, which has been impacted by COVID-19. Who are you, and what is your brand if you can’t consume?

Influencers are supposed to be aspirational; they are supposed to be in places we want to be, in clothes we want to wear, doing things we want to do. Without that so-called “FOMO,” it’s hard to see what need they really serve.